Topeka ? A state commission today made no decision on whether to recommend closing the Kansas Neurological Institute in Topeka and Parsons State Hospital.

Some advocates for people with developmental disabilities urged the closing of KNI and Parsons, saying the clients could be better served in smaller, community-based settings. They also argued that would cost the state less and therefore make available more funding for those with disabilities.

But numerous family members of people who are served by the institutions pleaded with officials to keep the facilities going, saying their loved ones received much-needed, quality care that they feared couldn’t be duplicated outside the facilities.

The Facilities and Realignment Commission will meet again to discuss the matter on Oct. 26. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to Gov. Mark Parkinson and the Legislature before the 2010 session that starts in January.